In the storage, shipment or display of parts or merchandise, it is a common practice to divide the interior of a box or container into a plurality of individual cells. The interior of a box or container is typically separated by a series of dividers, one set of parallel dividers being orthogonal to a second set of dividers. The dividers separate the interior of the container into a plurality of individual cells each of which is intended to hold a separate item for display or shipment. The division of the interior of the box or container helps prevent the items therein from contacting one another and breaking during shipping. The division or partitioning of the container also aids in the loading and unloading of the items therein, as well as inventorying the contents of each box or container.
The dividers typically are slotted and arranged in an orthogonal relationship to divide the interior of the box or container into a desired number of cells. The dividers are slotted in a manner that enables the dividers to engage with one another at the location of the slots so that the dividers form an orthogonal grid or matrix. Typically the dividers are made of the same material as the material of the box or container, plastic or paperboard. However, the dividers may be constructed of any suitable material with sufficient rigidity to prevent the contents of the container from contacting one another and being damaged.
A desirable partition assembly for many applications is one that is collapsible but not fully disassembling; the individual dividers of the assembly being affixed to each other. Such a non-disassembling assembly may be lifted as a whole out of a box without the operator worrying about the dividers separating from one another and may be collapsed for storage purposes.
Several U.S. patents disclose non-disassembling, collapsible partition assemblies which separate the interior of a box or container into a plurality of cells. The collapsible divider assemblies disclosed in these patents generally have a first set of dividers extending in one direction intersecting orthogonally with a second set of dividers extending in a second direction.
One such non-disassembling partition assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,709 to Gepfer. The Gepfer '709 patent discloses a slotted partition assembly having two parallel longitudinal partitions intersecting a cross partition and a “tying” partition. The end portions of the longitudinal partitions are bent along score lines and secured to the “tying” strip by a glue bond so as to prevent disassembly of the assembled partition assembly. As seen in FIGS. 1-4 of the Gepfer '709 patent, the partition assembly has three different types of panels or partitions. They include two longitudinal partitions, one cross partition, and one “tying strip” which is different than the cross partition. Each longitudinal partition is different than cross partition because each longitudinal partition lacks a relieved portion or notch at the end of the score line, and therefore cannot receive a locking protrusion or hook of one of the longitudinal partitions shown in FIG. 2.
One disadvantage of the assembled collapsible partition assembly of the Gepfer '709 patent is that the partition assembly has a tendency or inclination to collapse. The partition assembly does not want to stay in a position in which the partitions are orthogonal to each other. Without product inside the cells defined by the intersecting partitions, the partition assembly of the Gepfer '709 patent will want to collapse. Therefore, prior to the present invention, there was a need for a collapsible non-disassembling partition assembly which when expanded would stay in an expanded condition with the partitions in orthogonal relationship to each other.
For manufacturing purposes, it is desirable to manufacture a collapsible non-disassembling partition assembly with fewer styles or configurations of partitions or panels to reduce costs and complexity. Prior to the present invention, there was a need for a collapsible non-disassembling partition assembly which could be manufactured with only two configurations of partitions, rather than three or more.